Vinton Man Indicted on Federal Fraud Charges

ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today the indictment of a Vinton man on a pair of fraud charge related to this alleged theft of funds from the Social Security Administration.

Robert Wozniak, 48, of Vinton, Va., was indicted under seal last week by a federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke. That indictment was unsealed this morning when the defendant made his initial court appearance in federal court.

The grand jury has charged Wozniak with one count of theft of government property and one count of social security fraud. The indicted claims that from July 2015 through April 2016 the defendant stole Social Security Administration funds, namely retirement benefit payments, intended for Wozniak’s deceased grandmother, for which he was not entitled. The indictment specifically claims that Wozniak intentionally concealed his grandmother’s death in order to continue to receive and spend the retirement benefit payments made by the Social Security Admiration to his grandmother.  

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Social Security Administration and the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day will prosecute the case for the United States.

A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.